Saw this series here
Here are some of my thoughts of issues in Youth Ministry that needs to change:
1. The role of the youth pastor. He is no longer a buddy buddy to students - let him equip students and families.
2. The role of Family. Family is HUGE!! Get their involvement.
3. The role of God. Sure God is said to be central but let's focus on the triune roles of God.
4. Exposing the lies. Let's give Hope to our Students - none of this Battle cries or all students are abandoning the faith.
5. Pride. Don't depend on the youthworker or the church even to Rescue students ... God is still in control.
6. The role of the church. Get away from programs. Be the Church.
7. Comparisons. Recently I asked a fellow youth pastor, how many kids do you have now (I haven't seen him in awhile) His response: 35. I was like WOW ... you must of adopted some. His natural response was to compare and say youth group size - not his Family.
8. Soulcare. Leaders need to tend to their souls to help in turn point people to the one who is healing them.
9. Leadership. Too often good leaders are hard to find.
10. Theology. Theology and methodology is a big issue either helping or hurting the youth ministry as a whole.
What is the future for youth ministry? Only time can tell. My prayer is that youth ministry reflects the Church and Jesus to the World.
Here are some of my thoughts of issues in Youth Ministry that needs to change:
1. The role of the youth pastor. He is no longer a buddy buddy to students - let him equip students and families.
2. The role of Family. Family is HUGE!! Get their involvement.
3. The role of God. Sure God is said to be central but let's focus on the triune roles of God.
4. Exposing the lies. Let's give Hope to our Students - none of this Battle cries or all students are abandoning the faith.
5. Pride. Don't depend on the youthworker or the church even to Rescue students ... God is still in control.
6. The role of the church. Get away from programs. Be the Church.
7. Comparisons. Recently I asked a fellow youth pastor, how many kids do you have now (I haven't seen him in awhile) His response: 35. I was like WOW ... you must of adopted some. His natural response was to compare and say youth group size - not his Family.
8. Soulcare. Leaders need to tend to their souls to help in turn point people to the one who is healing them.
9. Leadership. Too often good leaders are hard to find.
10. Theology. Theology and methodology is a big issue either helping or hurting the youth ministry as a whole.
What is the future for youth ministry? Only time can tell. My prayer is that youth ministry reflects the Church and Jesus to the World.
1 Responses to “Issues in Youth Ministry”
Leave a Reply
Team Members
Previous posts
Archives
- May 2004
- June 2004
- July 2004
- August 2004
- September 2004
- October 2004
- November 2004
- December 2004
- January 2005
- February 2005
- March 2005
- April 2005
- May 2005
- June 2005
- July 2005
- August 2005
- September 2005
- October 2005
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
Youth Ministry
- Adventures In Missions
- After Abortion
- Barna Research Online
- Bluefish TV
- Center for Youth & Family Ministry - Fuller Theological Seminary
- Challenge Point
- CPYU
- e-Bible Study
- e-gad ideas
- Global Youth Ministry
- Group Mag.
- Home Word
- Ministry and Media
- Nashville work camp
- Next Gen. Publishing
- NCYM
- NNYM
- Pastor 2 Youth
- Sermon Spice
- Simply Youth Ministry
- Spring Board
- Teen Life Ministries
- The Source
- The Teenage Tight Rope
- True Lies
- Wilderness Trek
- Winterfest
- Worship House Media
- Vintage 21
- Youth Ministry.com
- The Youth Ministry & Spirituality Project
- Submit Articles to the Youth Ministry Articles Directory - Article submission and content you can use for free at Youth-Ministry-Resources.com
- Youth Pastor.com
- Youth Specialties
- NSYR
- Focus on the Family
- Home Word
- Parent Ministry
- Help for step families
- Fun for the family
- Pepperdine Center for the Family
- Harding's Youth and Family Journal
- Real Relationships
- Family Life
- Family Dynamics-Marriage Enrichment
- Center for Parent/Youth Understanding
- Safeguarding your marriage
- Screen It.com
Help with the Home
Religious Studies
- Christian Chronicle
- The Christian Church Today
- Christianity Today
- Brian McLaren
- Leonard Sweet
- Jim McGuiggan
- John Mark Hicks Ministries
- John York Ministries
- Rubel Shelly.com
- Works of Leroy Garrett
- Grace Centered Mag.
- Search God's Word
- Heart Light
- New Wineskins
- Preaching Standard
- Christian Standard
- Tulsa Workshop
- iBelieve.com
- Romans 515 Devotional ministry
- xxxchurch
Resources
- Church of Christ blogs aggregator
- Abductive Columns
- Adam Ellis
- Bev Dowdy
- Brandon Scott Thomas
- Brain Burkett (host)
- Carson Reed
- Chad Nall
- Chris Cotten(new)/">Chris Cotten
- Chris Gonzalez
- Christopher Green
- Chris Lockhart
- Curt Niccum
- Doug Oakes (new)
- Ed Harrell
- Gabe Peterson
- Gilbert Kerrigan
- Greg Kendall-Ball
- Greg Taylor
- Jason Retherford
- Jeff Slater
- Jeremey Walden
- Jerrad Holloway
- Jimmy Shaw
- Jonathan Paden
- Jon Owen
- John Alan Turner
- John T. Willis
- John Mark Hicks
- John Dobbs
- Jovan Barrington
- J-Wild
- Keith Brenton
- Larry James
- Matt Elliot
- Matthew Wilson (new)
- Mike Cope
- Milton Stanley
- Natalie Reed
- Neil Whitlow
- Patrick Meade
- Preacher Smith
- Radical Congurency
- Rick O'Dell
- Richard May
- Rusty Peterman
- Russell Heil
- Travis Brown
- Travis Stanley (new url)
- Wade Hodges
- Youth Ministry Forum
::Blogs:: from my tribe
- Adrian Warnock Evangelical U.K. Blog
- Andrew Jones
- Catez Stevens (All things 2 All)
- Ecclesiastical Anarchy
- Eternal Perspectives
- Evangelical Underground
- Faith Maps
- Jolly Blogger
- Jordan Cooper
- NeoTheo(b)log
- Not Quiet Art,Not Quite Living
- Next Reformation
- Reflections of Christ
- Student Ministry Rants
- Tony Jones
- Tony Sheng
- Deep Thoughts by Gman
- The Baron
- Mark Oestreicher
- Scot McKnight
::Blogs:: From other tribes worth reading
- Abilene Christian University
- Cascade College
- Faulkner University
- Freed-Hardeman University
- Harding University
- Harding Graduate School of Religion
- Heritage Christian University
- David Lipscomb University
- Lubbock Christian University
- Ohio Valley College
- Oklahoma Christian University
- Pepperdine University
- Rochester College
- Southern Christian University
- York College
Ref 1. If you call him pastor, he had better be able to pastor (lead, care-give, counsel, disciple, preach, serve, etc.) This has been one of my largest hurdles in ministry. I lobbied for associate pastor title at our current ministry assignment. It has helped. It makes a whole lot of difference if people view you as the associate rather than the young, youthful pastor or the "don't you want to get a church of your own someday" pastor.
On the other hand some of our colleagues have not helped themselves by hanging out with teens, dressing like them, talking like them, being buds with them and trying to "out-teen" the teens. This is especially embarassing when the teen-wannabe has a balding head, a middle-age spread, and a replacement knee.
Set the standard high -- we have a high calling!